Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Brown Butter Glaze

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Ingredients

For the Donuts:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup apple cider or apple cider concentrate

1 large egg

3 tablespoons melted butter (can substitute vegetable oil)

For the brown butter glaze: 

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

To make the donuts: 

Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a donut pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a measuring cup, combine the apple cider concentrate, egg and melted butter (or oil) and mix well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into a large Ziploc bag and then snip a triangle off of one corner. Pipe the batter into the greased donut pan, filling each mold until almost full.

Bake the donuts for about 7 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

To make the glaze: 

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Continue to cook the butter,  as the water cooks out it will begin to foam. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook until the color progresses to a light, amber brown and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt the additional 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 -3 minutes.

Add in the browned butter and mix well, then add the milk and stir until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Once slightly cooled, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt and mix until smooth. If the glaze appears thick, add in the tablespoon of water. You'll want to glaze your donuts immediately, as this glaze sets pretty quickly.

To glaze your donuts, pour the glaze into a wide shallow bowl. Dip each donut half way into the glaze. As you lift each donut out, shake it a little to remove excess glaze,  then place on a cooling rack to set.  Garnish with sprinkles, if desired.